Across Utah, high schools are recognizing academic success depends on more than classroom instruction. For many students, unmet basic needs — food insecurity, clothing shortages, housing instability and mental health challenges — can make it difficult to focus on learning. 

In response, school districts have developed teen resource centers in the high schools, safe spaces offering essential supplies and emotional support while building stronger connections between schools, families and communities.

Canyons School District 

Brighton High School’s teen center, opened recently with a $250,000 Utah State Board of Education grant, has quickly become a vital resource for its nearly 2,500 students.

Inside the center, students can access showers, laundry, toiletries, food and clothing, including Brighton apparel.

 “Their basic needs are being met. They don't have to worry about where they're going to get snacks during the day; if they've showered, they're going to feel better about attending class,” Principal Marielle Rawle said. “If they have clean clothes, that impacts their attendance. We just want to make sure basic needs are being taken care of. When we can help with these things, then they can focus on learning.”

Teen Center Facilitator Taya Shaw bridges students with academic services, such as FAFSA, scholarships and McKinney-Vento. 

“I'm the first line of students’ defense, just helping them out as much as I can,” she said. 

Shaw sees 50 to 60 students per day, many of whom eat lunch there or come after school. 

“I'm open till 3:30, but I do stay later sometimes because I don't want them out in the cold,” she said.

Brighton staff and community members contribute donations, from hoodies to food items, and teachers often bring students to introduce them to the space. 

For Shaw, the work is personal. 

“I grew up in a very displaced home so having a center where I could have gone and talk to somebody about, ‘hey, this is going on at home’ and ‘I don't feel safe at home’ would have been awesome for me,” she said. “I want to continue to be here and advocate for the students who I already know and those who I may not know yet.”

Jordan High School’s Digger Den, which opened in fall 2024, supports students facing food insecurity, academic challenges and everyday stress. 

Teen Center Facilitator Ruth de La Cruz-Nava keeps the center running.

“Our primary supplier of food is the Utah Food Bank,” she said. “They bring us food once a month. It’s mostly shelf stable.”

Donations from local youth and church groups helped fill shelves before the holidays.

The center also partners with community organizations and businesses, including Smith’s.

“Right about the time the SNAP benefits were paused, they let us know they would give us their wholesale pricing on a few items — sugar, apple juice, oatmeal, pasta sauce and other times,” de La Cruz-Nava said.

Weekend food packs come through the USANA Kids Eat program and students can access the pantry up to three times a month.

The Digger Den goes beyond food. It offers laundry facilities, clothing, birthday cake kits, hygiene items and even formal wear. 

“Anyone’s welcome here,” she said. 

With 150-180 students visiting daily for snacks, support or a quiet space, the center has become integrated into school life.

“Schools have generally been the central place in the community so it’s always important to be able to provide for its community,” de La Cruz-Nava said, adding she collaborates with nearby Hillcrest High’s teen center, which opened after the school’s rebuild in 2021.

Granite School District   

At Cottonwood High School, the Teen Wellness Center and Food Pantry provide food, hygiene supplies, emotional support and a place to breathe during the school day. 

Principal Justin Pitcher calls the center essential to the school’s mission: “Cottonwood’s teen center is a good example of what all schools should be providing.”

Social worker Wendy Hutchinson works alongside longtime volunteer Robyn Ivins, who helped open the center in 2023 and has coordinated the pantry since she opened it in 2017. 

 The District’s only teen center includes two showers, laundry and basic clothing. Hutchinson said the stigma-free space serves all students: athletes washing uniforms, students grabbing snacks or those needing a quiet space.  

The center provides fruit, snacks, burritos, bagels, frozen waffles, milk and more. 

“We even teach them about nutrition a little bit,” she said. 

About 40-60 students stop in daily, with about 15 at lunch seeking “a less chaotic, quieter place to eat.” 

The pantry opens Mondays and Thursdays, serving up to 100 Cottonwood and AMES students, with food supplied by the Utah Food Bank and the Granite Education Foundation.

With Cottonwood’s diverse and low-income student population, Hutchinson said the center fills critical gaps. 

“I love we have this inclusive space; it’s safe for kids to come and get their basic needs and emotional needs met here,” she said, adding counseling and crisis support are available for students.

Ultimately, Hutchinson said, the goal is helping students “be successful in school and graduate.”

Murray School District 

At Murray High School, student support centers around a carefully run system of closets, pantries and calming spaces, coordinated by social worker Jennifer Ketchoyian. 

The effort began in 2017 when students Emily Bowen and Kate Spackman created “Cinderella’s Closet” for free formal wear. Community members Pam and Darv Andersen expanded it in 2021 to include other clothing and food. It has since grown into the Spartan Closet, a boutique-style space where students can select clothing, hygiene supplies, backpacks and warm gear without stigma. 

Teachers can open the closet at any time for students and hallway racks of clothing items provide easy access. 

Student aides vet donations to ensure items are suitable, Ketchoyian said. Longtime volunteers Bonnie Poulsen and Mary Jane Siebenberg organize donations weekly.

“We tag to track and rotate items,” Poulsen said. “If we see something that's been there for two or three months, we'll start rotating clothes.” 

Siebenberg added: “They asked for help, we saw a need and here we are.” 

Principal Quinn Linde estimates 600 students use the Spartan Closet each year.

The school also provides food for unstably housed students, including USANA’s Kids Eat backpacks and other items. Hygiene, laundry supplies and even showers at the school are available. 

“When students are in survival mode, they don't learn as well,” Ketchoyian said. “We try to get them to where they can learn.”

Mental-health support includes the Zen Den, funded by a Murray Education Foundation grant, where students use art and calming tools. 

“Someone today came here with a panic attack; they needed a place to calm down,” she said. 

The District plans to open a full teen center in the high school’s new wing in 2027-28 with showers, laundry, a food pantry and additional resources. 

“I’m looking forward to having our new teen center,” Ketchoyian said. “Teen centers change lives.”